What would you do? Lying about time off for covid

[forthesakeofsanity]

I’ve just recently found out that my colleague took extended time off for covid illness (sick note) but continued to work at her other part time job. Basically she caught covid and had the 2 weeks off that were required back then (year ago). Our work place are very good with taking time off with covid to protect vulnerable. If you say you are still ill, they won’t pester you to come in until you are fit and ready. All paid during time off and doesn’t go against you on the staff absence policy.
Anyway, she got a sick note from her GP for an extra 2 weeks claiming she had severe breathlessness and fever. Our work place were absolutely supportive and fine with extra time off. Now it’s been revealed to me by a very reliable source that she wasn’t even ill and after the isolation period of 2 weeks she continued to work at her other job. In fact she increased her hours there as she didn’t have to work at her main job.
I’m a little upset by this revelation as so many of us were actually badly affected by covid. I feel like going to our line manager and reporting her. Am I being unreasonable to be this pissed off?

You don't know if it's a reliable source or not unless she told you herself that's what she did.

What is the reliable source? The 2nd job? The colleague themselves?

Leave it well alone. Being revealed by a reliable sources means absolutely nothing - gossip is gossip no matter who it comes from - and you'll only look like a dick rushing to your manager to grass her up especially if it turns out to be false and/or there were mitigating circumstances (i.e., she wasn't well enough to do her main job but was still well enough to do her side job due to differences in working conditions, type of work, place of work, etc).

Beak out, basically.

How would your line manager verify this at all?

All that will happen is that nothing is provable so nothing will happen. Is it worth it?

Yes, a very reliable source from her second job told me and didn’t realise that I didn’t know. She was boasting about how she is off with sick note and making extra money from her second job.

It still can't be verified and its still gossip.

What do you think your manager could do about it? They've no right to ask for proof of her shifts at her other job.

This colleague who pulled the sickie is well known for her lies at work. She’s very unprofessional. My line manager would believe me 100%, but without proof I doubt they would actually do anything and I don’t have evidence as the “source” won’t come forward. I just felt that they should be aware of her bullshit as the rest of the team had to pick up her roles and responsibilities during a difficult time for all of us.

I can imagine you being pissed off, but there’s not much you can do now tbh, plus she was covered by a GP note.
Covid has been an absolute god send for some people. I know if a few that totally took the piss and had loads of time off due to covid! Sickens me!

How would you like it if you worked at a second job and whilst you were off work sick (real or not) from your first, one of your colleagues told your manager that they had heard from a very reliable source that you were actually at your second job with increased hours and bragging about it? Would that be okay with you?

Do you have proof other than hearsay?
Unless you can offer evidence there isn't much you can do or say.

You also need to remember it's possible to be signed off one job but not another. I was once signed off from my actual job because I was temporarily not fit for that type of work but was still able to do my volunteer job as it was a totally different type of work (lots of sitting, basically).

You should just mind your own business and stay out of it

Ok let me just add that’s it’s not hearsay. It’s a very reliable and confirmed source. You couldn’t get more reliable! She also didn’t have a sick note that allowed her time off one job and not the other. It was a generic sick note that stated that due to severe fatigue, breathlessness and fever she was unfit to work. She just didn’t disclose this to her second employer. Her second job is just extra cash and gets paid by the hour. So obviously if she takes time off at first job, they continue to pay her for 2 weeks with no questions asked, but she’s making extra money on the side.

I wouldn’t like it, but I wouldn’t lie like her either. So nothing to worry about. Why would I take the piss out of pretending to be ill just to earn some extra cash elsewhere? That doesn’t sit right with me. I’m not an angel, but that’s dishonesty on a different level especially with an employer that’s gone above and beyond during the pandemic to support not only its staff, but the community it serves too.

How on earth do you know what the sick note said? Did your manager show you??!

its none of your business, you wouldn’t know the colleagues medical history is or what he sick note said. The doctor gave her a valid sick note for her job.

She showed her team when we were so worried about her. She posted it on our watsapp group to tell us she won’t be at work for a few weeks and to pray for her as she was really ill 🤦‍♀️

Give up now OP, unless you have DNA evidence you’re screwed.

Honestly, I would let your line manager know what you've heard and then let it go - leave it to your line manager to decide what to do next.

It's fraud, and I've know staff be dismissed for doing similar (signed off sick, unfit for work, but then working another job while being paid sick pay from the other). The issue will be proving it - depending on the company, if she's paid via PAYE in both jobs, they could find out from HMRC potentially if they wanted to push it. Much harder if cash in hand 2nd job and she doesn't admit it.

But if you tell your line manager, then you can leave it it their hands and you've done what you can do, and it's then not your issue.

All those saying "just leave it" - would you be happy if that person worked for the nhs / for a public service and was being paid full sick pay from tax payers money while signed off unfit for work, making money from another job? If you look at the HCP hearings - registered professionals can be and are struck off for that.

I’ve worked with her for 18 years! Shes not a very private person and loves to talk about herself etc. And as far as I know she doesn’t have any medical history apart from bullshitting.

My dm had a colleague who got sacked for this.
You cannot be getting sick pay from a workplace and working elsewhere, it's fraud.
I would absolutely report it if you can prove it.

We all know that people on benefits are not allowed to work more than a certain amount, how is this any different?

Oh dear she’s definitely shared to much information then!
I’d just ignore this, it not worth getting involved in although I can imagine it being frustrating especially if her coworkers are having to cover.

It’s a year down the line who actually cares ? Move on and forget it

More than anything else it’s the fact she’s betrayed work during a time when we were blessed to have jobs and decent understanding employers and so many others really struggled and would’ve gone in just to be in employment at a decent place like ours. Takes the piss

The world is full of chancers. She is one of them. She may yet become unstuck. But watch from the sidelines.
Just be glad you are you.